Roshanak Sheikh-Rezai

Born and raised in Tehran ,Iran, I completed a Master’s degree in urban studies with a major in urban design from University of Tehran in 2005, prior to which I studied architecture at Azad university of Tehran.

After graduation in 2005, I moved to Toronto, Canada, and entered practice as an architectural designer. For the past eleven years, I have been working on a wide range of projects locally and internationally.

During these years, I have learnt that the strength and value of the profession of architecture lies in its breadth and its degree of connection with other relevant disciplines as a way of enhancing its own intellectual foundations. However, rather than critically reflecting on the limitations and potentials of architectural discipline, most practices see production and proliferation as ends in themselves. As a result, understanding transformations of architectural knowledge due to new technologies and disciplinary practices or the emergence of new forms of architectural subjectivity within the Neoliberal market economy is not a research priority for a great majority of practicing professionals. My objective to return to the academic world after eleven years of practice is driven by the desire to reconnect with these relevant discursive questions.